Theming

Last updated

Theming is the use of an overarching theme to create a holistic and integrated spatial organization of a consumer venue. [1] A theme is a unifying or dominant idea or motif on which any new construction idea, new style generation, any product is designed. [2] It is the process of designing and constructing an object or space so that the particular subject or idea on which the style of something is based [3] is made clear through the “synthesis of recognizable symbols with spatial forms.” [1]

Contents

Theming is applied to an environment in order to create a memorable and meaningful experience for individuals or groups that visit the space, and can be expressed through the use of architecture, decor, signage, music and sound design, costuming, integrated technology, special effects, and other techniques. [1] Theming is increasingly used to create physical spaces for "experiential marketing,” in which consumers can connect and interact with a brand. [4]

Historically, most large-scale themed environments were primarily designed for entertainment, so the industry that creates these venues is known as themed entertainment. Examples include theme parks, water parks, museums, zoos, visitor centers, casinos, theme restaurants, and resorts. [5] Theming is also increasingly used on smaller scale projects, including parties and product launches, to make these events more impactful. [6]

Common themes include holidays (such as Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day), historical eras (such as the medieval period and the American frontier), cultures (such as Ancient Greece and Polynesian culture), and literary genres (such as fantasy and science fiction).

History

Theming has been used in public spaces at least as far back as the World’s Fairs of the Nineteenth Century. Professor Susan Ingram argues that the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London was, in effect, the world’s first theme park, utilizing theming to further its pro-industrial message, and reproducing foreign lands as spectacle. [7] The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago introduced a separate midway, filled not only with attractions like the first Ferris Wheel, but also exhibits of cultures from around the world, including reproductions of villages from many nations. Themed simulations, including the Italian Capri Grotto and a Hawaiian volcano, were made possible for the first time by combining electricity, theatrical displays, and mechanical devices. [8]

Themed dining can also trace its roots to the late 1800s. In the 1890s, at least three different elaborately themed nightclubs were operating Paris, using themes of death, hell, and heaven. [9] Soon after, in response to the growing popularity of the automobile, theming was applied to roadside architecture in the United States, and buildings themselves became advertisements aimed at passing motorists. [10] Beginning in the 1920s, a number of novelty architecture buildings were constructed in and around Hollywood, including the famous Brown Derby restaurants and Bulldog Cafe. [11] At the same time, the popular Egyptian Revival movement saw a range of buildings themed to Ancient Egypt, including everything from apartments to Grauman's Egyptian Theatre. Dozens of so-called “programmatic” or “mimetic” style structures were built in the Los Angeles area in the interwar years of 1918–1941, many of them restaurants, including buildings shaped like animals, food, and vehicles. [12]

The forerunners to today’s themed mega-resorts were the El Rancho Vegas, opened in 1941, and the Last Frontier, opened in 1942, the first two properties on the Las Vegas Strip, both with Wild West themes. They were followed by even more elaborately themed hotels, including Caesars Palace in 1966 and Circus Circus in 1968.

The term “theme park” came into use circa 1960, [13] [14] likely to describe the many parks built across the United States and around the world following the successful opening of Disneyland in 1955. Though arguably not the first theme park, Disneyland was the first amusement park to combine multiple named areas (“lands”) with different themes. Theme parks have followed this pattern ever since, including some that have explicitly copied Disneyland’s design. [15]

Theming has also been applied to retail environments. The advent of mass production led to the creation of large department stores in Europe in the late Nineteenth Century, and in an early example of theming, many used elaborate displays and windows to attract shoppers. [16] In the 1980s, Banana Republic reinforced its brand as a travel and safari clothing company by theming its stores with Jeeps and jungle foliage. [17] Beginning in 1987, the Disney Store chain used theming to popularize the idea of “retail-tainment,” creating a new category of entertainment stores, later copied by competitors. [18] Today, as a response to the growth of online shopping, both individual stores and entire retail complexes like malls are turning to theming to attract customers to physical locations. [19]

Scholarship

In 1997, urbanist Mark Gottdiener’s The Theming of America: Dreams, Visions, and Commercial Spaces was published. It is considered by many to be the first serious work to explore the origins, nature, and future of themed environments. [20] A revised second edition was published in 2001.

Also in 1997, the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal presented The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks, the first exhibition of some 350 objects from the archives of Walt Disney Imagineering, including plans, drawings, paintings and models for the Disney theme parks and their attractions. [21] Professor Karal Ann Marling curated the exhibit and wrote the principal essay for the accompanying 224 page book, which also included essays by Disney Imagineer Marty Sklar, historian Neil Harris, art historian Erika Doss, geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, and critic Greil Marcus, as well as an interview with architect Frank Gehry. [22]

Author Scott A. Lukas has written and edited numerous books and articles on themed entertainment, including his first, The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self, published in 2007. He teaches on the subject of theme parks and themed spaces, video games, popular film, and various forms of popular culture and remaking. [23]

In 2010, Dean Peter Weishar and Professor George Head began work on a themed entertainment design program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. In the fall of 2012, the SCAD School of Film, Digital Media and Performing Arts separated into two schools: the School of Digital Media and the School of Entertainment Arts, which began offering the nation’s first M.F.A. in themed entertainment design. Peter Weishar went on to create the Themed Experience Institute program at Florida State University. [24] [25]

Criticism

As perhaps the best known example of theming, the theme park Disneyland has often been a target for criticism. In his overwhelmingly negative review, Disneyland and Las Vegas, published in The Nation upon the opening of the park, writer Julian Halevy lamented:

“As in the Disney movies, the whole world, the universe, and all man’s striving for dominion over self and nature, have been reduced to a sickening blend of cheap formulas packaged to sell…It’s dangerous and offensive.” [26]

Noted author Ray Bradbury responded with a letter to the editor, published three years later, titled Not Child Enough:

“The world is full of people who, for intellectual reasons, steadfastly refuse to let go and enjoy themselves…I have a sneaking suspicion, after all is said and done, that Mr. Halevy truly loved Disneyland but is not man enough, or child enough, to admit it. I feel sorry for him.” [27]

Another notable criticism of theming, again targeting Disneyland and its guests, can be found in French sociologist Jean Baudrillard’s 1981 treatise Simulacra and Simulation :

“Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, whereas all of Los Angeles and the America that surrounds it are no longer real, but belong to the hyperreal order and to the order of simulation…The imaginary of Disneyland is neither true nor false, it is a deterrence machine.”

Along with Baudrillard, the Italian writer Umberto Eco helped develop the idea of “hyperreality,” or the world of "the Absolute Fake," in which imitations don't merely reproduce reality, but try to improve on it. [28] Eco traveled to tourist attractions across the United States and wrote frequently about "America's obsession with simulacra and counterfeit reality.”

More recently, concerns have been raised about theming’s role in influencing consumers, sometimes subconsciously, as part of experiential retailing or “shoppertainment.” Kim Einhorm, director of Theme Traders, points out that “theming becomes an invisible form of branding.” [6] Indeed, because theming has become such a commonplace aspect of so many people’s everyday lives, the public is often unwilling or unable to effectively understand its consequences. [1] Some have even argued that the growth of experiential marketing is contributing to a degraded quality of life by eliminating “contemplative time.” [29]

Industry

In 1920, following the dissolution of several earlier organizations, the National Association of Amusement Parks (NAAP) was formed. In 1934 it merged with the American Association of Pools and Beaches (AAPB) to form the National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools, and Beaches (NAAPPB). After several name changes, it became the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions in 1962. [30] Today, IAAPA represents more than 5,300 members from more than 100 countries, including many companies and individuals in the themed entertainment industry. [31]

The Themed Entertainment Association was founded in 1991 to organize small businesses in the industry. Today it has some 1,300 members, and divisions around the world. It hosts annual conferences and presents awards to individuals, parks, attractions, exhibits, and experiences. [5]

A number of former employees of Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s in-house design and construction subsidiary, went on to form their own themed entertainment companies, some of which later collaborated with Disney on theme park projects. Gary Goddard left Imagineering to start what became the Goddard Group, now known as Legacy | GGE. Bill Novey oversaw the special effects for Epcot Center and Tokyo Disneyland before leaving to start Art & Technology, Inc. [32] Bob Rogers left to found BRC Imagination Arts. Bran Ferren founded Associates & Ferren, which was acquired by Disney in 1993. Ferren eventually left Disney to start another company, Applied Minds, LLC. Phil Hettema worked for both Disney and Universal Creative before starting The Hettema Group.

Other companies serve organizations and individuals looking to incorporate theming into offices, product launch events, and even parties. Theme Traders is a London-based event theming company that serves this niche.

Examples

Theme Parks

Theme Restaurants

Themed Hotels

Themed Retail Brand Stores

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hench</span>

John Hench was an American artist, designer and director at The Walt Disney Company. For 65 years, he helped design and develop various Disney attractions and theme parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney California Adventure</span> Theme park in California

Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California, by the use of Disney, Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001, and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Resort</span> Entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, US

The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels, and the Downtown Disney shopping, dining, and entertainment district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Mountain</span> Indoor roller coaster at Disney parks

Space Mountain is a space-themed indoor roller coaster attraction located at five of the six Disneyland-style Disney Parks. Although all five versions of the attraction are different in nature, all have a similar conical exterior façade that is a landmark for the respective park. The original Space Mountain coaster opened in 1975 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. There are two tracks within this attraction, Alpha and Omega, which passengers can choose from. Other versions of the attraction were built at all other Disney parks except for Shanghai Disneyland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Park (Paris)</span> Theme park within Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France

Disneyland Park, originally Euro Disneyland Park, is a theme park found at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. The park opened on 12 April 1992 as the first of the two parks built at the resort. Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, its layout is similar to Disneyland Park in California and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida. Spanning 56.656 ha —the second largest Disney park based on the original, after Shanghai Disneyland Park—it is dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Studios Park</span> Theme park at Disneyland Paris

Walt Disney Studios Park is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. which opened on 16 March 2002. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Upon opening, it was dedicated to show business, movie themes, production, and behind-the-scenes, but in the 2010s, in a similar manner to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida, it began to distance itself from the original studio backlot theming and entered a new direction of attraction development inspired by iconic Disney stories. The park is represented by the Earffel Tower, a water tower with Mickey Mouse ears similar to the one formerly located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which in turn was inspired by the water tower at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Imagineering</span> Research and development unit of The Walt Disney Company

Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. The company also operates Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio and manages Disney's properties, from Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to New Amsterdam Theatre and Times Square Studios Ltd. in New York City. Founded by Walt Disney to oversee the production of Disneyland, it was originally known as Walt Disney, Inc., then WED Enterprises, from the initials meaning "Walter Elias Disney", the company co-founder's full name. Headquartered in Glendale, California, Imagineering is composed of "Imagineers", who are illustrators, architects, engineers, lighting designers, show writers and graphic designers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Experiences</span> Theme park and travel division of The Walt Disney Company

Disney Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of The Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of Walt Disney World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Sklar</span> American businessman

Martin A. "Marty" Sklar was a scriptwriter and construction developer. He was The Walt Disney Company's international ambassador for Walt Disney Imagineering, the subsidiary of the company which designs and constructs Disney theme parks and resorts across the world. He was formerly vice president of Concepts and Planning for the company, before being promoted to president, then vice chairman and principal creative executive before his final role. Disney honored him with a Disneyland window dedication ceremony on his date of retirement, July 17, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition Everest</span> Steel roller coaster built by Vekoma

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, also known as Expedition Everest, is a steel roller coaster built by Vekoma at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The ride is themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbidden Mountain next to Mount Everest. It is the only roller coaster at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and the tallest roller coaster at any Disney theme park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Themed Entertainment Association</span> Theme park industry association

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment. It is also noted for its THEA Awards, which were founded in 1995 and are distributed annually in a range of themed entertainment categories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel</span>

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is the second Disney hotel in the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The theme of the hotel is of a Victorian style, and is located near Disneyland Harbour. The hotel is built on reclaimed land and opened on 12 September 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Baxter</span> American amusement ride designer

Tony Wayne Baxter is the former senior vice president of creative development in Walt Disney Imagineering and was responsible for creating designs and carrying out the construction of attractions all over the world. He announced his departure from his full-time position to become a part-time adviser on February 1, 2013. During his 47-year tenure with the company, he oversaw the construction of multiple contemporary Disney theme park attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, The Indiana Jones Adventure, and Journey Into Imagination, and served as the executive producer of Disneyland Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toy Story Mania!</span> Attraction type at Disney theme parks

Toy Story Midway Mania! is an interactive 4-D theme park attraction, located at three Disney theme parks: Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort and Tokyo DisneySea at Tokyo Disney Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ride & Show Engineering, Inc.</span> American company

Ride & Show Engineering, Inc. is an American private company that conceptualizes, develops, and builds attractions, show action equipment, and transportation systems. In 1984 Eduard Feuer and William Watkins, the former Senior Project Engineer and Chief Mechanical Engineer, respectively, for Walt Disney Imagineering, established Ride & Show in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Burns</span> American artist and designer

Harriet Burns was an American artist and designer. Burns was the first woman hired in the Walt Disney Imagineering department within the Walt Disney Company.

Edward Anthony "Eddie" Sotto III is an American experiential designer, mixed-media producer, and conceptualist. Sotto was formerly the Senior Vice President of Concept Design for Walt Disney Imagineering, and is currently president of the Los Angeles design firm SottoStudios Incorporated. He also established the think tank Futureproof Experiences in 2020 to address the challenges posed to the experiential industries by COVID-19. In 2002 Sotto was named one of the thousand most creative people in America in the book 1000: Richard Saul Wurman's Who's Really Who by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman. In 2018 he addressed the TEDxBermuda event with his presentation "The How of Wow". He was also named one of the Blooloop 50 list of theme park influencers in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Coup</span> French creative director

Thierry Jean-Andre Coup is the Chief Experiential Futurist at JOCOUP Creative. Coup began his career working in the film industry, performing set design and visual effects. He moved into theme park design in the early 1990s when Walt Disney Parks and Resorts offered him a position with Walt Disney Imagineering. In 1995, he transferred over to Universal Creative and led projects such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: The Ride, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley and Super Nintendo World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wing T. Chao</span> American architect, master planner, construction developer and hospitality professional

Wing Tao Chao is a Chinese-born American architect, master planner, construction developer, hospitality professional, and a former Disney Imagineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Feuer</span> American mechanical engineer

Eduard Feuer is a German-American mechanical engineer and Imagineer. His most notable works as project engineer are the American Adventure and World of Motion pavilions for Walt Disney's EPCOT Center, the Disneyland Mark V and Walt Disney World Mark IV monorails, as well as the Great Bronze Doors of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lukas, Scott A. (2007). The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation and Self. Rowman & Littlefield.
  2. "theming". www.dictionary.com.
  3. "theme". www.merriam-webster.com. 25 October 2023.
  4. Experiential Marketing, Defined — and Examples to Inspire You. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  5. 1 2 About Us. Themed Entertainment Association. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  6. 1 2 Quainton, David (August 2009). "Prepare for Impact (Advice Bureau Theming)". Event Magazine (UK).[ dead link ]
  7. The Historical Development of Themed Space: Susan Ingram on Industrial Europe and the Commodification of Leisure. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  8. Chicago World’s Fair of 1893: Marketing the modern imaginary of the city and urban everyday life through representation. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  9. The awesomely insane Heaven and Hell nightclubs of 1890s Paris. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  10. The weird roadside architecture of Los Angeles. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  11. Bulldog Café, 1153 West Washington Blvd, opened 1928. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  12. Early Los Angeles Programmatic-Style Buildings. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  13. "theme park". www.dictionary.com.
  14. "theme park". www.merriam-webster.com.
  15. 5 Disneyland Knockoffs From Around the World. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  16. The Origin and Development of Markets: A Business History Perspective. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  17. Before Banana Republic Was Mainstream Fashion, It Was a Weirdly Wonderful Safari Brand. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  18. New Theme Player. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  19. Themed Retail: To Theme Or Not To Theme. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  20. The Theming of America: Dreams, Visions, and Commercial Spaces. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  21. Architecture (CCA), Canadian Centre for. "The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks". www.cca.qc.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  22. CCA to Examine the Building of a Modern Myth, in The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  23. Bio. Scott A. Lukas. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  24. TEA Advantage: Peter Weishar, themed entertainment academic pioneer. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  25. SCAD to offer the first M.F.A. in themed entertainment design. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  26. Julian Halevy, “Disneyland and Las Vegas,” Nation, July 17, 1955. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  27. Ray Bradbury, "Not Child Enough," Nation, June 28, 1958
  28. Traveling Through Hyperreality With Umberto Eco. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  29. Antonella Carù and Bernard Cova, “A Critical Approach To Experiential Consumption: Fighting Against The Disappearance Of The Contemplative Time”. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
  30. IAAPA Timeline. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  31. About IAAPA Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  32. "Bill Novey and the Business of Theme Park Special Effects". BloopLoop.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.